Disk-harrow mechanism



Oct- 20, y A C. H. WHITE DISK HARROW MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 4. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. H. WHITE -DIsK HARnow imcmmrsu Original Filed Aug. 4, 1919 2 Sheets-S1160! 2 Patented ct. 20, 1925.

Parleur (caricaj miams warmer nomine, annoia, assurance is 'panas coursier, or

nIsK-Hnneow n-nonnmsnf Application mea August 4, 1919, `serial No; @15;088. nereweatvrarenm, 1525.

fMoline, inthe county oi Rock island Iand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful -Ilnprovcrneifits 1n `Dls'kfI-Iarroa'v Mechanisms, ofwhieh fthe following isa speci-iieation, reference being had therein to the accompany-ing drawing,

This invention relates to improvements in disk harrows, particularly those which 4have long gangs with numerous dis-ks Which engage powerfully with the earth; and resist movement from one angle to anothergpand especially in disk harrow mechanisms of the tandem class each having two -or more pairs offsuch gangs, eachgpair mounted in -a frame, and the tWo fra-mes connected and drawn together.

The gangs of `these harrows require frequent adjustment from one Vangle to another relatively to each other 1and to the line oi draft and when long, -as :they are, inthe `e`nV #gine drawn tandem harrows, Kdemand considerable power for the adjustment.

@ne of the vobjects Iof the presentinvention is -to `:provide for varying or `adjusting' the anglesotthe Adisk ygangs by means of power derived from the draft devices and nave it, accomplished i-n'such Way that Where there 1s but one operator for an apparatus the changing ot' the angle of the gangs will not divert his attention from controlling the entire apparatus Figure 1 is` -a top planview "of disk hariow `z'neclfranisin `embodying niy ilnprovejn men-ts.

Figure r2 isa sidefelevation.

Figure 3 is :a view yon an enlarged scale partly Ain section, Lpartly in side elevation, oi some of the parts for transmitting power to the rear gangs ior adjusting theni.4

Figure 4: is a side view of the hinge 'eleu ment connected to the rear gang Vframe.

Figure 5 lis a side View of the hinge element secured to the "front frame.

A -Inain traine or fron-t traine-1 is formed or' central longitudinal bars, inclined side bars 3,13, and a cross har 1; these bars being preferably of ivi-ought inetal and the `trarne, as lan entirety, being substantially similar to some of those now in use.

Immediately behind this frame are mounted two disk gangs A, KAR These alsof be ot any preferred construction suitable for `the jpurposes `o ftlris.mecf-ha'nism. As shown, Aeach ,gang comprises a central 'shaft and bracing -thinible tubes 7,. -Each thirnble has A'radially expanded bosses at .its ends to abut `against that fon 'theopposite gang for f ,taking the `in'vvard -endwfise thrust.

`Each gauges shown, has three biresjat 8, @and 10. From" these boxes'there rise up stand- 50 provide la Wide `engagement with the central ards 11 which support "a super-` and `adj .acent frame 12. This frame supports a scraper system indicated as an 'entiretyvbylQ 'conipr-ising a yseries 'of Scrapers v13, one Tfor the ooncave. side of each disk, a 'scraper-'a-- rying rod or bar 14E` held, rlongitudinally, in normal .position by a spring 15, and a lever 1 `Each ganfg is attached to the frame 1 by a lower pivoted link 17, and an upper link 18. These links allowrendwise movement outward and inward of thegangs. These links -17 18 are connected to Athe outermost boxes 8 Voi' the *gan-g axle systems. lThe inner -boXe-s 1()v aref alsofconneted to the iront frame by adjustable ydrag lbars 119.

The harr'ovv 'apparatus shown is designed to be drawn across Ethe fields by a" traction engine or tractor. The toperator rides on ithe .platforn'i aft the rear end 'of `the engine 'and the harrow mechanism is .provided With devices -by which the `operator 'can lexert considerable power in 'adjusting the gangs; When the `latter are inaligrnnent the 'disks yare inactive, in respect to engaging With, and forming -u-rrows in the soil, they, at ls'uch time, merely lrolling as "Wheels on the surtace for supporting `the parts Vcarried YKby thenu Vhenfthe disks lare to be put in Operati'on each `gangV must be thrown back 'at its inner end in order `'to turn -orvvard the' con cave sides-of :the disks The greater theangles'gto the line of :draft-off the .planes of the ycuttin i edges `oli the dis-ks, the more '-ef'- ciently Wil the -l-ate-r engage 1Vwith the fsoil,

and the greater Wil-l 'be the resista-nce to the i CII gaging with the rod and swiveled in the lever 22. At 24 there is a swiveled sleeve supporting the forward end of the rod 2O and permitting its ends to swing vertically. The lever 22 is at 25 pivoted to the frame 1 or to a supplemental support 26 secured to this frame. The lower end of the lever 22 is pivotally connected to the draw bars 19 of theV gangs.

lVhen the operator desires to have the inner ends of the gangs move backward to operative positions, he' rotates the screw rod in such way as to permit the links 19 to move longitudinally rearward. But little Iforce is required to move the inner ends of the gangs backward inasmuch as the governing link connections at 17, 18 of 'each gang system are positioned nearer tov the outer ends of the gangs than to the inner ends. As soon as the gangs begin to turn, the greater earth resistance at the inner ends causes the latter to swing backward. However, if power is required for this, it can be readily applied by the operator through the screw rod, and, on the other hand, when he desires to bring the gangs to transverse alignment, the resistance of the soil is overcome by means of the powerful transmitting devices which I'have provided. No ratchets or locking dogs are required for holding the gangs at any predetermined angle, the thread and nut at 23 being self-locking at any position to which the rod may be moved.

To that part of the apparatus above described is connected the rear harrow system. It comprisesrthe disk gangs B, B1, each of which is approximately a duplicate of the front gangs A, A1, except that the rear gangs are in reversed position; that is to say, are so arranged that their disks have their concave faces turned inward and their convex faces turned outward.

These rear` gangs arev supported and drawn by a frame 27 comprising a central .longitudinally disposed part 28, Icross bars 29, end bars30 and 30a, and the forwardly extendingVV and convergingA brace bars 31. The central frame 28 is `formed of longitudinal bars 32, which, at their rear ends, are inclined downward, the central parts 33 being in Vhorizontalzplanes somewhat above the front disk frames, and the forward ends 34 Aextending downward to their point of attachment to the'front frame 1. The front parts 34 of these bars andthe elevated horizontal parts 33 are closetogether Vto form a rigid pivot element, while the rear parts at 32 are spread apart, as shown in Figure 1, to provide a light expanded frame element. At 35 the connecting arm 34, 33, is joined to theffront frame 1 by a substantiallyvertical pivot vconnection which permits the rear hai-row system to freely swing. bodily, toward the right or toward the left,

independently, Inore or less, of the front` gangs A, A1. Such freedom of relative swing is necessary both when the apparatus as a whole is being turned at the end of a transit acrossthe field, and also at times during a traverse in correspondence with variations in the surface of the soil. Generally, however, the four-gang elements are, when in operation, positioned similarly in respect to the central vertical longitudinal plane through the mechanism. In the gang system B, B1, the gangs are pivotally connected to the end bars 30 and 30a of the rear frame, the pivots joining the bars to bearing boxes 36. The inner end boxes 37 of the rear gangs are held by pivoted drag bars or links 38 which extend forward to their adjusting devices. The latter comprise a sliding frame at 39 having transverse bars 40, 41 riding slidably on the frame bars 32. The cross bar 40 is at 42 pivoted to the drag bars 38 of the rear gang. The bars 40, 41 are secured together and braced by short inclined bars 43. To the forward ends of these brace bars is connected a chain 44 which extends forward to a point in, or close to, the vertical axis of the hinge 35 of the rear frame. The chain is attached to a longitudinally swinging lever 45 joined by a pivot at 46 to the frame of the rear system, this pivot also being positioned as closely as possible in the transverse vertical plane of the main pivot at lVhile said lever is pivoted to the front portion of the rear frame, it is supported by the rear portion of the front frame through the connection of the rear frame therewith.

The parts last specified constitute a train of power devices, for angling and straightening the gangs, and with them are combined control means, including an element operable from a point outside the har-row, as for example from the tractor platform, and also. including means for locking or holding the controlling means and the power devices. As shown, there is provided a thrust and pulling device in the form of a sliding rod 47, the handle 48 of which is near the engine and supported in a guide 49. at thefront by the front frame through the guide 49, and at the rear through the lever 45, so that it is held on a line approximately fixed relatively to said front frame regardless of the lateral swinging of the rear frame. The lever 45 is locked in any desired position to hold the rear gangs in their different positions of adjustment, by means of a segment 50 mounted on the rear frame and a detent car'ried by said lever as shown at 51, the latter being movable by a slide rod 52 adjacent to the parts at 4?,.48 and connected to the detent by a lever 53.

When the angles of the rear gangs are to The rod 47 is supported fl fi turn, draws the inner end of the `gang 'system B, B1 forward, the force being "transmitted through the chain 44 and `the sliding` frame 43 to ,the drag bars 38.

Ijn Figure 2, the dotted lines indicate the ,position of lever ,45, when it and vits vattachments are holding Athe rear ,gangs in their ordinary working positions. It will be seen that when the lever iis in this position the front end of the `chain 44 Iis, practically, at the vertical line 'of the main hinge pivot, 315,` and that the rear harr'ow system can, its entirety, swing to the right or to the left without varying the angles of the rear `gai-lgs in relation to "their frame. I ,j

In some cases, these four-gang,enginedrawn, disk barrow mechanisms are constructedV to have all the gangs connected to a single adjuster; sothe operator can, with ione movement of an actuating device, move the inner lends of the front gangs backward and simultaneously draw the inner ends of the trear gang forward. I havev found that under many 'circumstances better results in tillage can be obtained by having the front and rear `gang systems independently adjustable. The relative angles of the rear gangs should, under some l circumstancesbe greater or less than the ang-les of vthe front gangs in relation to the 'line of draft.

It will be seen that by the devices de! The aforesaid scraper lever 16 for actuat-` ing the Scrapers of a front gang is connected by a cable or similar' device 54 to the scraper actuating lever 7.6il ofthegan-g immediately behind it. rl'his cable is extended forward and supported on a bodily adjustable carrier 55. As slroi'vn, this aypulley a mounted on a lever 56 pivoted to the standard or upright frame 57 rising from the front end of the main frame l. The lever'has a detent 58 engaging with a lock segment 59.

Vhen the operator desires to. effect the scraping of all the disks', of, for example, the right hand gangs, he releases detent 58, and, bylever 5t, moves the pulley-or support uland through kthe cable 54 and the levers 16, 16' moves the 4*sciap'er's 13, 13a, simultaneously, to -their operative lpositions fin `relatiorito *their 'respective I'disks The llevers 16, -lt are fpositionechas iclosely Jas possible, to the `vertical axes `'afrou'nd which'ithe gang systems swing horizontally and consequently Ethejends 'of the cable have a minimum of displacement from the points where the drafts on =the twostr'ands of the cable are maintained at balance. The inner endscf the gang systems can, when1 the front rear systems are Ain parallel, be independently angulafted without materially varying the lengths of the cable i as exists.

There are two of the scraper adjustingcal ble fsystems, one for the night lhand gangs and 4*one forlthose at the left; and they are substantially duplicates lo-fweaehother; yAt

many times the disks 'on one side o'f the /central plane will be contacting with 'dry nonstick'y `soil that `does not v'adhere to the surfaces or impede their loperations, while, a't "the same time, the disks on itlie other half of the mechanism will be 2in muddy Or 'sticky earth, `or will be contacting 'with' the stems or stalks `of lgrasses weeds 'of the wi'ry class which `refuse to be y'cut iby the disks, lbut form mats around ithe peripheries. At such times the operator is ndt 'called upon to perform the `severe workef throwing all of the scra'j'aers to active positions as, with the Ydevices described, he j can cause the lcleaning `of the convex surfaces lor lof the 1cuttin,f:,r

strands `extending'from *the pulley l55 to the @edges Aofone set independently `of the others lVhat I claim is:

l. The combination o'f a front frame, the disk fgangs connected thereto, the rear lat- `erally swinging frainc ffleXibly connected. to the front frame, vthe rear "gangs connected tov the rear frame and'adjustably movable `relatively thereto, lthe adjusting device for `the rear gangs having a rear ele-.1

ment'supported on and movable longitudinally of the rear frame, and front element supported on the front frame and held `on lines approximately fixed relatively lto said frame, and adapted to elert draft on ythe rear element and on the rear gangs, and a vertically swinging lever supported on a pivot `approximately ijn the vertical lines around. which the rear frame swings and adaptedy te actuate the rear radjusting device.

lll() 2. The combination of a 'front frame, the disk gangs connected thereto, the front gang adjusting device on the frame, the rear laterally swinging frame flexibly connected to the front frame, the rear gangs connected to the rear frame and adjustably movable relatively thereto, the adjusting device on the rear frame for the rear gangs and a lever mounted at the axis of lateral swing of the rear frame for actuating the rear gang adjusting device, and means on the front frame for actuating the lever independently of the front gang adjusting device.

3. The combination of a front frame, the disk gangs connected thereto, the rear laterally swinging frame flexibly connected to the front frame, the rear gangs connected to the rear frame and adjustably movable relatively thereto, the adjusting device for the rear gangs supported on and movable longitudinally of the rear frame, and a vertically arranged lever supported on the front end of the laterally swinging frame for actuating said adjust-ing device, and means extending from the lever forward to the front end of the front frame for actuating the lever.

4. The combination of a front frame, the disk gangs connected thereto, the rear laterally swinging frame flexibly connected to the front frame, the rear gangs connected to the rear frame and adjustably movable relatively thereto, the adjusting device for the rear gangs supported on and movable longitudinally of the rear frame, a lever pivotally supported in approximately the vertical lines around which the rear frame swings, and a flexible connection between the lever and the rear gang adjusting device, and means extending forward from the lever for actuating it.

5. In a double disk harrow of the class described, the combination of the front frame, the laterally swinging rear frame pivoted to the front frame, disk gangs connected to the front frame, disk gangs connected to the rear frame, the front gangs and the rear gangs being adapted to be angled independently of each other, separately operable control means supported by said front frame and having initial powerreceiving elements arranged to be actuated by power applied from point-s in front, and outside, of the horrow, and power transmitting devices positively actuated by said control means respectively for angling the front gangs while the rear gangs remain at xed angles, and for angling the rear gangs while the front gangs remain at fixed angles.

6. A double disk harrow comprising a front frame, a rear frame pivotally connected at the front with the rear portion of said front frame to be drawn thereby and to swing laterally relatively thereto, front and rear sets of angularly adjustable disk gangs connected respectively with said front and rear frames, control devices separately operable from in front of said front frame, connections actuated by and leading from one of said control devices to the front set of gangs for angularly adjusting the gangs of said set, and connections actuated by and leading from the other of said control devices to the rear set of gangs for angularly adjusting the gangs of the latter set, the latter connections having a support in approximate axial alinement with the pivot of the rear frame.

7. A double disk harrow comprising front and rear sets of disk gangs, frames on which said sets of gangs are respectively mounted, said frames being pivotally connected together to dispose said sets of gangs in tandem relation to each other and permit lateral swinging of the rear set of gangs relatively to the front set of gangs, control devices mounted on one of said frames in advance of the axis about which t-he rear set of gangs swings and separately operable from in front of the harrow, connections actuated by and leading from one of said control devices to the front set of gangs for angularly adjusting the gangs of said set, and connections actuated by and leading from th-e other of said control devices to the rear set of gangs for angularly adjusting the gangs of the latter set.

8. The combination of a front frame, the disks connected thereto, the rear laterally swinging frame pivotally connected to the front frame to swing around a vertical axial line, the rear gangs adjustably connected to the rear frame, the adjusting devices for the rear gangs comprising twoelements, to-wit, a rear element supported on and movable longitudinally of the rear frame and extending to the said vertical axial line, and a front element for actuating said rear element supported on the front frame and extending forward from said vertical axial line.

9. The combination of a front frame, disk gangs connected thereto, a front gang adjusting device on said front frame, a rear frame `flexibly connected with said front frame to swing laterally, rear gangs connected with said rear frame and adjustably movable relatively thereto, adjusting means on the rear frame for the rear gangs, separately operable controlling means for the rear gangs supported by the front frame, and an operating connection for actuating the rear gang adjusting means from said controlling means lying substantially in vertical alinement with the axis of lateral swing of the rear frame.

l0. The combination of a front frame, disk gangs connected thereto, a` rear frame arranged to swing laterally relatively to said front frame, rear gangs connected with said rear frame and adjustably movable relatively thereto, draft devices common to said frames, separately operable means for angularly adjusting the front and rear gangs respectively, and separately operable controlling devices supported by one of said frames, one of said controlling devices having an operating connection With the adjusting means for the gangs connected With the other frame, said connection being substantially in vertical alinement with the axis about Which said rear frame swings laterally.

l1. In a double disk harroW the combination with front and rear frames angular-ly movable relatively to each other, disk gangs connected to said front frame, means carried by said front frame for simultaneously adjusting said front disk gangs relatively to the line of draft, disk gangs connected to said rear frame, means carried by said rear frame for simultaneously adjusting said rear disk gangs relatively to the line of draft,

and a plurality of controlling devices supported by said front frame and operable independently of each other, one of said controlling devices being connected With the adjusting means of said front gangs and the other of said controlling devices being connected With the adjusting means of said rear gangs.

l2. A disk harrovv comprising in combination a front frame, disk gangs adjustably connected with said frame, a. rear fram-e, disk gangs adjustably connected with said rearl frame, means connecting said frames for lateral swinging relatively to each other, means mounted on the rear frame for adjusting the cutting angie of the rear gangs and holding said gangs in their different positions of adjustment, and means supported by the front frame for actuating the adjusting means of the rear gangs.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

CHARLES H. WHITE. 

